2020/2021 Tel Aviv > Amman

21 Day Itinerary

Day 1 - Tel Aviv

Arrive at Israel capital and be greeted at the airport and transfer to your centrally located hotel. Included is a two night-stay in Tel Aviv.

Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2 - Tel Aviv

Start your day with a city tour of Tel Aviv and Jaffa with a local guide. The tour starts in 4,000-year old Jaffa, an old-world port dating from Phoenician, Roman and Crusader times. Explore the archaeological ruins and winding alleyways, and then dive into Tel Aviv’s buzzing streets. Admire the UNESCO-listed Bauhaus buildings of the White City quarter, visit beautiful Tel Aviv port.EmeraldEXCURSION: Guided Tour of Tel Aviv

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3 - Tel Aviv – Haifa – Acre – Galilee

In the morning, depart Tel Aviv and travel north along the coast to the seaport city of Haifa. There you will see the sights of the Stella Maris Monastery amongst other main places in town. Then continue to the city of Acre, also awarded with a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tour the Knights’ Halls, the Crusaders’ main fortress and palace. Afterwards, transfer to your hotel in Galilee.EmeraldEXCURSION: Guided Tour of Haifa and Acre

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 4 - Galilee

Today you will start with an EmeraldPLUS cruise ride on the Galilee Sea. Afterwards, your day continues with a tour the Galilee - Starting with a visit to the Mount of Beatitudes, site of the Sermon on the Mount, proceeding to Capernaum, site of Jesus’s Galilee ministry, then concluding at Tabgha, site of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. Continue afterwards to the Golan Heights, for a breath-taking view. EmeraldPLUS: cruise ride on the Galilee SeaEmeraldEXCURSION: Guided tour around Galilee

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5 - Galilee – Jerusalem

Drive from Galilee to Jerusalem. Once you will arrive you see the Old City's most famous sites, including a walk to the Palm Sunday road to the tear-shaped church of Dominus Flevit , where tradition holds that Jesus wept over His beloved Jerusalem. Continue the descent to the Garden of Gethsemane with its ancient olive trees. Next, enter the Old City through St. Stephen's Gate to view the Pool of Bethesda and the lovely Crusader Church of St. Anne. Also, you will view the Arch of ecce Homo (Behold the Man) and then follow the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Included is a two-night stay in Jerusalem.EmeraldEXCURSION: Guided Tour of Old Town in Jerusalem

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 6 - Jerusalem

Today is yours to spend exploring Jerusalem at leisure, as you peruse. If you have any questions or need any advice, then your tour director will be available to help you to plan your day. Or take part on a DiscoverMORE tour.DiscoverMORE: Visit to Mahane Yehuda Market (extra expense)

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7 - Jerusalem – Tel Aviv – Cairo

Travel from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv airport for your flight to the Egyptian capital, Cairo. Generously steeped in history and standing as one of the largest cityscapes in Africa, there is much to be discovered here. You’ll be met at the airport by an Emerald Waterways representative and transferred to your centrally-located hotel. A one-night stay in Cairo.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 8 - Cairo – Luxor

Today, you will be flown from Cairo to Luxor to visit the vast open-air temple complex of Karnak. Witness the ancient hieroglyphs that adorn the pillars still standing among the decaying temples and religious structures, including the hypostyle hall in the Precinct of Amun-Ra.EmeraldEXCURSION: Visit the Karnak Temple Complex

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 9 - Luxor – Nile Cruise Embarkation

Soak in lush panoramas on the west bank of the River Nile this morning, as you visit the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor, a woman whose reign is a storied part of Egyptian history. Then, visit the world-famous Valley of the Kings, part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed site of ancient Thebes. Be left astounded by the colourful depictions of daily life and the afterlife that adorn the tombs, as you see hieroglyphs of their occupants in the presence of deities.EmeraldEXCURSION: Visit the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut and the Valley of the Kings

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10 - Luxor – Dendera – Luxor

History lovers are certain to find themselves entranced by Dendera, where one of the best-preserved temple complexes in Egypt can be found. The ornate and the structured beauty of Hathor Temple is certain to leave lasting impressions. Return to Luxor and visit the hieroglyphs of Luxor Temple, the backdrop of the modern cityscape.EmeraldPLUS: Cruise to Dendera and witness the majesty of Hathor TempleEmeraldEXCURSION: Visit Luxor Temple

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11 - Luxor – Esna - Kom Ombo – Nile Cruising

Follow in the footsteps of ancient pharaohs today, as you weave down the meandering Nile. Here, charming villages and storied temples pepper the riverbanks, nestled amid vast desert landscapes. Visit Esna Temple and look up to see a plethora of enlightening astronomical scenes. Later in the afternoon, Kom Ombo will highlight the way temples were dedicated to specific gods. A fun-filled evening awaits on board with a lively galabeya party, themed with Egyptian delicacies, music and dancing.EmeraldEXCURSION: Visit the Temple of Esna and the Temple of Kom Ombo

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12 - Aswan – Abu Simbel – Aswan

This morning, fly to Abu Simbel to visit one of the most celebrated monuments in Egypt. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Abu Simbel temples were built by Ramesses II, and they stand as some of the best-preserved in the country.
This afternoon, return to Aswan for a guided boat tour on the Nile.EmeraldPLUS: Visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Abu Simbel templesEmeraldPLUS: A guided boat tour on the Nile

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13 - Aswan – Cairo

This morning, bid farewell to your captain and crew and embark on a guided tour of the Philae temple complex, a series of ancient temples that were expertly relocated as part of a UNESCO-spearheaded project.
This afternoon, fly to Cairo and for a three-night stay in the bustling capital.EmeraldEXCURSION: Visit the Temple of Isis at Philae Island

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 14 - Cairo

Discover one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World today, as you visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. After your tour, you can choose to either continue exploring the pyramids in Saqqara as part of an enlightening DiscoverMORE experience, or you can return to your hotel to relax.EmeraldPLUS: A home-hosted dinner with an Egyptian familyEmeraldEXCURSION Visit the Pyramids of Giza and the Great SphinxDiscoverMORE: Visit to Saqqara Pyramids (extra expense)

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 15 - Cairo

This morning, you will have the opportunity to discover some of the priceless antiquities that can be found inside of the Egyptian Museum, the site where relics from Tutankhamun’s tomb are currently displayed. Enjoy perusing exhibits of ancient scrolls, religious artefacts and solid-gold funerary masks.EmeraldEXCURSION: A visit to the Egyptian MuseumDiscoverMORE: A visit to Cairo Citadel (extra expense)

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 16 - Cairo – Amman

After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to Cairo International Airport to fly to Amman for a two-night stay. The Jordanian capital has flourished for thousands of years, forming what is now a modern city with a delightful scattering of ancient ruins, including the famed Temple of Hercules in the Amman Citadel.EmeraldPLUS: Home-hosted dinner with a local family, for a fascinating insight into their lives.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 17 - Amman

Start your day with an EmeraldPLUS excursion as you explore the Roman Ruins of Jerash, where temples and theatres once formed the centre of imperial life in the city. Then, enjoy a delicious lunch of Jordanian specialities before returning to Amman for your city tour. Experience all the highlights of this bustling capital including the impressive Amman Citadel. Cast your gaze upon the ruins of the Roman Temple of Hercules and stroll between the royal and residential buildings of Umayyad Palace. Then, take a walking tour through the lively local markets with your tour director and experience local life.EmeraldPLUS: Visit the Roman ruins of Jerash EmeraldEXCURSION: A city tour of Amman & a visit to a local market

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 18 - Amman – Wadi Rum - Petra

Your day will begin with an incredible journey as you witness the sun-kissed hues of the desert during a jeep adventure in Wadi Rum. Lawrence of Arabia was filmed here, and many cultures have left their mark on the area. Later, continue onwards to Petra and enjoy an afternoon of independent exploration.EmeraldEXCURSION: A jeep adventure in Wadi Rum

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 19 - Petra

Enjoy a guided tour of prehistoric Petra today. This magnificent UNESCO World Heritage-listed city is the legacy of the Nabataeans and their lost civilisation. Witness the raw beauty of this mystical place as you walk through passageways that have been carved straight into the rock. The impressive eastern entrance leads through a brightly coloured gorge to the imposing Treasury, a well-known tomb that local people once believed to contain a hidden treasure. EmeraldEXCURSION: A guided tour of Petra DiscoverMORE: Enjoy an evening cooking class and dinner, sharing authentic local cuisine in a casual, family atmosphere (extra expense).

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 20 - Petra – Dead Sea

Today, you will travel to the lowest body of water on the Earth – the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is known for its hypersaline waters and therapeutic mud. Enjoy a farewell dinner tonight at the hotel with your tour director and fellow travellers before a restful overnight stay.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 21 - Depart Amman

This morning, you’ll have the chance to either relax in your hotel or take part in a DiscoverMORE to visit Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where Jesus of Nazareth is thought to have been baptised by John the Baptist and where the first five apostles are said to have met. Later, it’s time to say goodbye and transfer to Amman airport for your homebound flight. DiscoverMORE: Visit Al-Maghtas “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” to see the site where Jesus is believed to have been baptised (extra expense, must be pre-booked)